STAB 2019

Tonight I'm sharing an imagined tweet written by a German social media company that is promoting Gutenberg's amazing invention. I love the way this tweet shows the connection between the printing press and the ability of Martin Luther to spread his ideas, even after Pope Leo ordered that all copies his writings be burned: Changing a wine press into a printing press -- what an invention! Gutenberg's printing press was good for everyone, creating books (and theses) for all. So much for that strategy of burning a few copies of something you disagree with!                                                     ( By Liam B., Marin and Brynne )

The students are writing tweets from the perspective of important leaders of the Renaissance and Reformation. Notice the way that the following tweets demonstrate both creativity and an ability to synthesize the historical material.  The first tweet is written from the perspective of Martin Luther. In the second tweet, Pope Leo responds. Hey @Leo_X: My theses have been read , all of your followers have fled . Now remember what Jesus said : to faith you should be wed .                      ( By Rowen, Jack M., Alejandra and Adam ) We found your measly theses. Now we'll burn them into 95 pieces. #Your_theses_melt_like_Reeses ( By Xavier, Hannah, Sophia, Caden and Tucker )

This week we've been studying an important philosopher from the Renaissance: Niccolo Machiavelli . The students learned that Machiavelli had a different perspective about leadership than the philosophers who came before him. --------------- We began by considering a hypothetical scenario: The President of the United States believes that a foreign country, Bardor, is planning to attack the United States. The President has decided to launch a pre-emptive invasion of Bardor in two weeks, to protect us. At a news conference, a reporter asks the President whether it’s true that the United States Army is planning to invade Bardor in the near future. In order to keep his military plans a secret from the leaders of Bardor, the President responds with a lie: “ No, we are not planning any such attack. ” Is it ok that the President lied? The students gave a range of responses to the scenario: Some were comfortable with the President's lie, because his goal in lying was to protect people. ...

The students have continued to share a range of musical recommendations... Today, we listened to Kacey Musgraves' peaceful and soothing voice -- and lovely message of hope -- on Rainbow (thank you, Carter !). Last week, Travis shared the hip hop stylings of Post Malone  and  Swae Lee on their collaboration,  Sunflower .  Kemper gave us a chance to relive the excitement of the Cavaliers' teamwork and triumph, when he selected One Shining Moment . I love learning about songs I've missed on the radio, and Burke introduced me to a beautiful duet: Shallow , by Lady Gaga  and  Bradley Cooper . Many students enjoy the music (and clever lyrics) of Hamilton , and Cadigan shared a gem from within: One Last Time , in which George Washington ponders his own -- and his nation's -- future. ------------------ Thank you to all the students who have shared music this spring, and for those of you who continue to share your excellent musical observations  during c...

This winter, we studied the awe-inspiring architecture and engineering of the Gothic cathedrals. We learned about the people who built them and their reasons for doing so. The students became experts at explaining the differences between Romanesque and Gothic styles of architecture. These magnificent cathedrals are spread throughout Europe, and one of the most famous is Notre Dame in Paris, France. Tragically, Notre Dame caught fire last month. The fire was accidental, and fortunately no one was hurt. Firemen and firewomen responded bravely and prevented more significant damage. Yesterday, we talked about the fire during class. The students expressed sympathy for the people of Paris, and they talked about ways that the cathedral might be rebuilt (for example: will wood be used, again, for the roof, or will the next generation of builders decide to use a less flammable material?). Two classes engaged in a thoughtful discussion about a particularly deep question: People have pledged mil...